Interviews & Features
The people who made the games — in their own words. Developer interviews, oral histories, and contemporary press features.
Steve Hammond — Arcade Attack
Steve Hammond, managing director of DMA Design through the Psygnosis publishing era and into the GTA years, gave an in-depth interview to Arcade Attack discussing the studio's history, its relationship with Psygnosis, the development culture at DMA, and the road from Lemmings to Grand Theft Auto.
Hammond's perspective as managing director — rather than a programmer or artist — provides essential context for understanding DMA Design as a business and organisation, not just a creative studio. Highly recommended as primary source material.
Arcade Attack — confirm interview URL and date. See also videos page if a video version is available.
See also: People: Steve Hammond
Making of Lemmings — PCGamesN
PCGamesN published a detailed “Making of Lemmings” feature covering the game's development history, including Mike Dailly's account of creating the original two-pixel sprite that sparked the concept. The article draws on interviews with multiple DMA alumni and is among the most thorough written accounts of Lemmings' creation.
Key details covered include: the Deluxe Paint prototype, Dave Jones's reaction to the walking sprite, the development timeline, and the team's surprise at Lemmings' enormous commercial success.
PCGamesN — search for “Making of Lemmings DMA Design”. Article URL to be confirmed.
See also: Trivia: Mike Dailly sprite · People: Mike Dailly
“Big Bang Theory” — The Scotsman
The Scotsman published a feature on DMA Design — sometimes referenced under the working title “Big Bang Theory” — covering the studio's role in Dundee's emergence as a significant UK game development centre. The piece contextualised DMA Design within Scotland's broader creative and technology industries.
Steve Hammond was among those quoted. The article provides valuable Scottish press perspective on DMA Design's significance — less focused on individual games, more on the studio's cultural and economic impact on Dundee.
Source: The Scotsman newspaper archive. Verify URL and date via archive.org or the Scotsman's digital archive. See also: People: Steve Hammond.
DMA Design Oral History — GamesRadar
GamesRadar published an oral history of DMA Design drawing on interviews with multiple alumni. The piece covers the full arc from the studio's founding through Lemmings, the Psygnosis era, GTA's chaotic development, and the eventual transformation into Rockstar North.
Of particular interest is the coverage of GTA's development — the shift from Race and Chase to the finished product, and the controversy that greeted its release. The oral history format allows multiple perspectives to coexist and contradict, giving a fuller picture than any single interview.
GamesRadar — search for “DMA Design oral history”. URL to be confirmed.
See also: History · Flagship: Grand Theft Auto
Noclip Documentary — History of GTA, Lemmings & DMA Design
The definitive video documentary on DMA Design, produced by Noclip. Features interviews with Dave Jones, Mike Dailly, and other DMA alumni. Covers the full history from founding through Lemmings, the Amiga golden years, GTA's development, and the studio's transformation into Rockstar North.
Required viewing for anyone interested in DMA Design's history. Jones discusses the founding in Dundee; Dailly discusses the two-pixel Lemmings sprite. The documentary is cited throughout this fan site as a primary source.
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=Ev7FqNa5rD0
See also: Videos page · History (embedded)